I don't even know what seven feet of snow would look like and I live in the Midwest!
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,251063,00.html
COSWEGO, N.Y. — Gov. Eliot Spitzer declared a state disaster emergency Thursday for Oswego County — battered by five straight days of lake-effect squalls that have buried some areas in nearly seven feet of snow.
Spitzer's declaration authorized all state agencies to help assist municipalities and residents in the storm-wracked region along eastern Lake Ontario. Earlier Thursday, the county, as well as the city of Oswego and village of Mexico, declared their own states of emergency and restricted all nonessential travel. No snow-related deaths were reported Thursday evening. The heavy lake-spawned snow started late Sunday and has pounded a small swath of Oswego County almost relentlessly, seemingly stalling over Oswego, Mexico and Parish and nearby communities.
"Oswego is like right in the middle, so every time it goes by us, we get a little bit of snow — actually, a lot of snow," said Oswego Mayor Randy Bateman. "At certain periods of the day, the wind just keeps it right over us. Dumping and dumping. You know, it was neat when it started because we hadn't gotten any snow in December or January," Bateman added. "It's getting old now."
The area received another short reprieve Thursday as the squalls shifted south into Syracuse, where between 4 and 8 inches fell. The lake-effect bands moved back north in the evening and were expected to strengthen overnight. Late Thursday the northern parts of Oswego County were accumulating as much as 3 inches per hour, said Dave Sage, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Buffalo. At times, the snow has fallen at a rate of as much as 5 inches an hour. "I'm sure before morning there's going to be three or four areas that have up to 100 inches (in Oswego County)," Sage said. The snowfall was accompanied by high winds, creating whiteouts and other problems around the state. "Unfortunately, the forecast is for the same through the weekend. Hopefully, it won't be as intense. But if it is, we'll just clear it as the snow stops and wait for it to start again," said Bateman, trying to keep a good humor about events.
Schools were closed for a fourth consecutive day in Oswego and nearby Mexico. Most government offices were closed and most everyday activities were at a standstill. Whiteouts forced state police to close a 15-mile stretch of Interstate 81 for several hours. Travel advisories against also were posted for parts of Jefferson, Madison, Onondaga, Oneida and Lewis counties. Oswego has had a problem keeping the city's 800 fire hydrants clear, Fire Chief Ed Geers said. "We're just trying to keep on top of digging out the hydrants. When you get 5 feet of snow in 24 hours, it's tough. Many residents are great and have dug out their hydrants," Geers said. Water main breaks and an animal ice rescue have added to the list of problems for city workers, said Bateman.
The emergency declaration will mean that the state will reimburse local municipalities for some of their cleanup costs. But Bateman is hoping it also leads to manpower reinforcements. "Our guys are doing a tremendous job, but they're getting tired. This wears on you," the mayor said. Forecasters said the system producing the squalls was expected to last through the weekend.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,251063,00.html
COSWEGO, N.Y. — Gov. Eliot Spitzer declared a state disaster emergency Thursday for Oswego County — battered by five straight days of lake-effect squalls that have buried some areas in nearly seven feet of snow.
Spitzer's declaration authorized all state agencies to help assist municipalities and residents in the storm-wracked region along eastern Lake Ontario. Earlier Thursday, the county, as well as the city of Oswego and village of Mexico, declared their own states of emergency and restricted all nonessential travel. No snow-related deaths were reported Thursday evening. The heavy lake-spawned snow started late Sunday and has pounded a small swath of Oswego County almost relentlessly, seemingly stalling over Oswego, Mexico and Parish and nearby communities.
"Oswego is like right in the middle, so every time it goes by us, we get a little bit of snow — actually, a lot of snow," said Oswego Mayor Randy Bateman. "At certain periods of the day, the wind just keeps it right over us. Dumping and dumping. You know, it was neat when it started because we hadn't gotten any snow in December or January," Bateman added. "It's getting old now."
The area received another short reprieve Thursday as the squalls shifted south into Syracuse, where between 4 and 8 inches fell. The lake-effect bands moved back north in the evening and were expected to strengthen overnight. Late Thursday the northern parts of Oswego County were accumulating as much as 3 inches per hour, said Dave Sage, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Buffalo. At times, the snow has fallen at a rate of as much as 5 inches an hour. "I'm sure before morning there's going to be three or four areas that have up to 100 inches (in Oswego County)," Sage said. The snowfall was accompanied by high winds, creating whiteouts and other problems around the state. "Unfortunately, the forecast is for the same through the weekend. Hopefully, it won't be as intense. But if it is, we'll just clear it as the snow stops and wait for it to start again," said Bateman, trying to keep a good humor about events.
Schools were closed for a fourth consecutive day in Oswego and nearby Mexico. Most government offices were closed and most everyday activities were at a standstill. Whiteouts forced state police to close a 15-mile stretch of Interstate 81 for several hours. Travel advisories against also were posted for parts of Jefferson, Madison, Onondaga, Oneida and Lewis counties. Oswego has had a problem keeping the city's 800 fire hydrants clear, Fire Chief Ed Geers said. "We're just trying to keep on top of digging out the hydrants. When you get 5 feet of snow in 24 hours, it's tough. Many residents are great and have dug out their hydrants," Geers said. Water main breaks and an animal ice rescue have added to the list of problems for city workers, said Bateman.
The emergency declaration will mean that the state will reimburse local municipalities for some of their cleanup costs. But Bateman is hoping it also leads to manpower reinforcements. "Our guys are doing a tremendous job, but they're getting tired. This wears on you," the mayor said. Forecasters said the system producing the squalls was expected to last through the weekend.
